Lauren McFarland had only just returned from a trip to the Himalayas (Image: Cumbria Constabulary / SWNS)
A woman described as a “beautiful adventurer” was killed after losing control of her car in the Lake District and collided with an ambulance travelling in the opposite direction on the way to work, an inquest has heard. Lauren McFarland, 30, was killed when her red Fiat Punto spun into the path of the oncoming emergency vehicle, causing her fatal injuries.
She had just come back from a dream holiday to the Himalayas and Everest Base Camp. The hearing, at Cockermouth Coroner’s Court, heard that the travel advisor was travelling east on the A66 near Keswick to her work in Penrith when the collision occurred at around 8.45am on January 11, 2024. Paramedic Abigail Routledge, who was driving, and her colleague suffered minor injuries and immediately rushed to Ms McFarland’s aid.
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The ambulance had no patients on board, and the paramedics were returning to base at the end of their shift last year.
They were joined by other medics shortly after, including from an air ambulance, but Ms McFarland’s injuries were deemed “unsurvivable”, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ms McFarland’s family paid tribute in a statement shortly after her death, saying: “Lauren was the beloved daughter of David and Paula and granddaughter of Cynthia, Billy and Helen.
“She will be sadly missed by many uncles, aunties, cousins, nieces, friends and colleagues. Lauren touched the hearts of everyone she met with her happy and outgoing personality.
“She was a beautiful, caring and confident person who loved the outdoors and adventure.”
Laura McFarland lost control of her car on the A66 near Keswick. (Image: Google Street View)
Ms McFarland was identified by her friend, Freya Graham, who came upon the scene shortly after the incident when she was on her way to work in Penrith.
A collision investigation report by Cumbria Police found that neither driver was intoxicated, and Ms Routledge would have had “no opportunity” to avoid the collision.
Ms McFarland was not using her mobile phone around the time of the incident, and no evidence was found that she suffered a medical episode at the wheel.
Dashcam footage revealed that as Ms McFarland was negotiating a left-hand bend, her car was seen positioned towards the centre line of the single carriageway A66.
She was seen to make a manoeuvre back to the near side, which caused her car to rotate clockwise, and into the opposite carriageway, into the path of the ambulance.
Police officers noted the weather was “dry and bright”, with “good visibility”.
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A statement submitted to the court by Ms McFarland’s father, David McFarland, said that she had recently returned from a three-week “dream trip” to Everest Base Camp, accompanying customers from the travel company she worked for, and was looking forward to going again in 2024.
Mr McFarland said his daughter’s health and fitness were ‘excellent’ and she regularly ran trail races at a competitive level, having ‘excelled’ at sports from an early age.
She grew up in Bridgefoot, and had attended Cockermouth School, where she “flourished”, completing A-Levels and attending London Metropolitan University where she gained a degree in sports therapy, and made “friends from all around the world|”.
The court heard Ms McFarland had a “passion for horses” from a young age, and competed nationally in equestrian competitions, being mentioned in Horse and Hound magazine.
After leaving London, Ms McFarland had lived in Pontefract and Leeds, working for the NHS, before moving back to Cumbria and deciding to pursue a career in the travel industry.
Ms McFarland had 12 years of driving experience, having gained her license at age 18.
Assistant coroner for Cumbria, Margaret Taylor, said that Ms McFarland was “clearly a very talented young woman”.
Ms Taylor said: “She should have had a long life ahead of her with many more adventures.
“We have heard that there was some evidence of a leak of air from the rear offside tyre of Lauren’s Fiat.
“What we don’t know is whether this contributed to the collision or loss of control.
“It’s possible it may have been lost in a collision, but it’s a possibility that it may have affected her ability to control the car.
“It’s probable that she died upon impact.”
Ms Taylor concluded that Ms Taylor died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries sustained in a road traffic collision.
